Author: staff
LONDON — Nigel Farage on Tuesday defended his party’s proposals to allow the Royal Marines to use “lethal force” against irregular migrants crossing the English Channel. The leader of the right-wing Reform UK party — who has announced plans to shut down Britain’s asylum system for five years if he takes office — doubled down on his Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick’s pledge Monday that if naval officers “need to use lethal force, then they’ll be able to do so” under Reform. Farage’s political opponents leapt on Reform’s proposals following Jenrick’s comments. Labour Defence Minister Luke Pollard told Times Radio Tuesday morning…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 11:44 GMT+2 The Council of the EU has brought an end to the conditionality mechanism imposed on Hungary to address corruption risks in the country. The decision unfreezes €4.2 billion in funding and allows Hungary to rejoin the Erasmus+ student exchange programme and the Horizon Europe research initiative. The EU introduced the conditionality mechanism in 2022 under the government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, making access to EU funds dependent on respect for the rule of law. The move also led to the suspension of a substantial amount of EU funding to Hungary. Following the…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 8:22 GMT+2 US actress Selma Blair was arrested after an alleged altercation on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City that injured at least two cabin crew members, authorities said on Monday. The “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions” star was detained at John F Kennedy Airport after her Delta Air Lines flight landed late on Sunday following reports of a physically abusive passenger. US media said that Blair punched one flight attendant and bit another. The 54-year-old then reportedly assaulted a police officer and nurse as she was transported to hospital. “Selma experienced a…
Excess production capacity, particularly in Europe, is one of the most urgent challenges for Stellantis. The carmaker has no intention of closing plants and wants to make full use of its facilities through partnerships with Chinese manufacturers Leapmotor and Dongfeng. This is the strategy outlined by chief executive officer Antonio Filosa at the Paris Automotive Summit, held as part of theParis Motor Show. “We have excess production capacity, especially in Europe, but we do not want to shut plants,” the executive said, explaining that the solution identified is based on sharing industrial capacity. The aim is to use existing facilities…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a right to be angry. In a wretched month for Ukrainians, ahead of a fast-approaching frigid winter, Donald Trump’s “very big and important deal” to acquire millions of tons of diesel fuel from Russia couldn’t have come at a worse time. The U.S. president’s plan to lift sanctions on Moscow to allow diesel imports came as a sucker punch for most Ukrainians enduring barrages of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles, with civilian casualties mounting. The question for Zelenskyy is just how angry he can actually afford to be. “His showing his frustration is understandable, but there are…
In the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, a total of 358 so-called child marriages have been officially recorded since 2012. Only eight of these forced marriages have so far been legally annulled. According to authorities, the other 350 cases were brought to an end in other ways. This alarming finding comes from a response by the Baden-Württemberg state government to a minor inquiry submitted by AfD state parliament members Nikolaos Boutakoglou and Emely Knorr. The Tübingen regional authority is responsible for recording the data, the answer came from the Ministry of the Interior. 11-year-old Iraqi girl married off The eight…
The Rehman Baba Express, travelling from Karachi to Peshawar, came off the tracks at around 5.15am local time near Sher Shah railway station in Punjab province. All 14 carriages derailed, with several overturning and trapping passengers inside. Rescue workers, police and local residents searched the wreckage, while cranes were brought in to remove damaged coaches. The injured were taken to Nishtar Hospital in Multan, where at least one person was reported to be in critical condition. Pakistan Railways said all passengers had been evacuated. Train services on the affected line were suspended, and a relief train and medical unit were…
The fashion giant, once Europe’s most valuable listed company, reported revenue of €18.5 billion in the three months to the end of September. The firm, whose brands include Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine and drinks maker Hennessy, saw a revenue increase of 1.2% year on year in the third quarter, after a 0.1% rise in the second quarter and a 5.9% fall in the first. However, organic sales growth, which excludes currency movements and changes to the group’s business portfolio, fell short of expectations. Growth slowed to 1% in the third quarter from 3% in the second. Overall, in the first…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 8:31 GMT+2 Lufthansa Group is boosting its Japan network for 2027, bringing back its Frankfurt-Nagoya route and adding a daily service between Frankfurt and Tokyo-Narita in response to a “strong increase in demand”. The group’s airlines – including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and ITA Airways – will offer up to 50 flights per week next summer to four Japanese airports: Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka and Nagoya. The expansion follows a record year in 2025 for international arrivals in Japan, with the country welcoming 42.7 million overseas visitors, up 15.8% on 2024, according to the Japan National Tourism…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 7:22 GMT+2 A new cultural hub dedicated to African cinema and Black culture has opened its doors in London, with Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu hoping to bring stories from Africa and its diaspora to a wider audience. EbonyLife Place London features a cinema, a restaurant and a boutique showcasing designers from Africa and its diaspora. The project aims to create a destination where visitors can experience different aspects of Black culture without having to travel abroad. For Abudu, the centre is the result of a long-held ambition to give African stories a permanent home in…